Sales of home appliances do not grow on the 2nd tri, says power lines

SÃO PAULO-home appliance sales, which include electronics and white goods, "are not good. I believe that there is no growth in the second quarter, "said the President of the Association of industry manufacturers (power lines), Ken Kiçula.
In the first quarter of the year the power lines had already detected between its associates a pullback in sales, between 15% and 20%, as compared to the same period last year.
On vacation, out of Brazil, he accompanied by far the meeting of representatives of the industry and retailers with the Finance Minister, Guido Mantega, held yesterday in Brasilia. The increase of IPI rates for products such as stove-(2% to 3%, not returning to 4%, documents); Six Pack (3.5% to 4.5%); and refrigerators (from 7.5% to 8.5%) was already expected by the industry. "It is not surprising, was the combined. The important thing is that there is a concept of essentiality, that is, the more necessary to the product, the less must be the "tax, Kiçula said by telephone.
The washing machine, for example, follows with IPI of 10% for an indeterminate period — — only 52% of the households in the country have automatic clothes washer. But Kiçula says that the Government could revise the IPI semi-automatic wash (or six pack), which had a rate of 2% high IPI to 4.5%. He understands that this is a product of "entry" for many consumers and that, therefore, should have a lower IPI. "But we will do our homework. Let's make a survey of how many companies manufacture this type of washer, how we can improve this product, and then we can take a proposal to the Government, "said the President of the power lines.
In the second half, Kiçula shows a certain optimism, despite being concerned about the pressures of inputs such as steel and dollar (which affects in particular the production of articles of the Brown-line televisions, for example). He assesses that there are chances of sales back to a more positive in the second half of the year, especially for TVs, according to the World Cup, clothes washers, refrigerators and stove.